1. Field
This invention relates to clipboards, more particularly, this invention is directed to clipboards having a multi-functional character.
2. Statement of the Art
Clipboards of various constructions have been known for many years. In its most simple construction, a clipboard typically includes a planar member fabricated from a rigid material. The planar member is sufficiently smooth so that an individual may place a sheet of paper or other material atop the planar surface and thereafter either read the paper or write on the sheet of paper using a conventional writing instrument such as a pencil or pen. In many constructions, a clip member is attached to the planar member as a means of retaining the sheet of paper atop the writing surface of the planar member.
Many efforts have been directed in the past to modify the conventional clipboard structure to increase its functionality. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,728 (Bratton), a plurality of clear, upstanding planar members were fitted about the perimeter of the clipboard to form a shroud or shield. Bratton thereby disclosed a clipboard structure which may be used in out-of-door environments whereby the sheet member, positioned atop the clipboard may be retained protected from wind or other disturbances. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,442,780 (Child), a clipboard having an alternative shield structure was disclosed.
Other inventive attempts have been directed to modifying a clipboard structure to provide an auxiliary function. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,665,620 (Osteen), a clipboard was structurally combined with a tape measure to yield a unitary structure adapted to serve both the function of a clipboard and that of a tape measure. Other clipboard structures which have been publicly disclosed are those which are made subject to U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,369; U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,286; U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,324; U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,888; U.S. Pat. No. 3,833,970; U.S. Pat. No. 3,560,092; U.S. Des. Pat. No. D-261,903; U.S. Des. Pat. No. D-255,251; and U.S. Des. Pat. No. D-243,974.
In many working environments, it is incumbent upon a workman to fill out a form or otherwise take notes with regard to the subject matter of his work. Oftentimes, it is necessary for the workman to make reference to a printed sheet of data for purposes of making comparisons of that data with observations he is presently making. For example, many state governments in the United States have enacted laws governing the dimensions and weight requirements of semi-truck trailers which travel over roads within the state's boundaries. In order to monitor and otherwise enforce these laws, most states have provided for a number of enforcement officers who are either stationed in fixed locations on the highways proximate the state's boundaries or in the alternative, many states provide for mobile enforcement units which travel along the state's highways and randomly stop traveling semi-truck trailers for purposes of assessing compliance with the various state regulations regarding weight and dimensions of the semi-truck trailer. It is incumbent upon the enforcement officer to take physical measurements of the semi-truck trailer, oftentimes in the out-of-doors, and thereafter compare those measurements with the standards promulgated by the state legislatures. While clipboards have often been used in this environment for purposes of retaining a sheet upon which the enforcement officer may take down notes regarding the data and observations he makes while taking measurements of the vehicle, it has been found difficult for the officer to retain and preserve a sheet of information which includes the state standards which the vehicle must meet. Since the paper if having the standards written thereon is fairly flexible and thin, and should it be retained on the clipboard by the clip of the clipboard, after repeated usage, the sheet becomes tore, soiled, and otherwise unusable. Should the user fold the paper so as to place it in his pocket or use an alternative means of carrying the paper, a similar result, i.e., soiling and tearing of the paper, often results. While this one examples illustrates the problems incumbent upon a workman, it should be observed that similar problems exist in a plethora of other environments.
Therefore, there exists a need for a means of providing a means of retaining a sheet of paper, having information thereon, in a substantially protected and shrouded condition, which paper may then be readily used by a workman or enforcement officer as a reference while taking notes on a second sheet of paper. Furthermore, it is realized that since the clipboard on which the second sheet is to be filled out already provides a first piece of equipment for which the officer is obliged to maintain, there exists a need for a means of adapting that clipboard whereby the officer may have a unitary piece of equipment which both serves the purpose of retaining a second sheet, providing a writing surface on which the second sheet may be written upon, and furthermore, providing a means of shrouding or protecting the data sheet upon which the observations which are to be noted on the second sheet may thereafter be compared.